Reversing gear for engines



Nov. 23 1926.

G. R. SMITH REVERSING GEAR FOR ENGINES w VVV S14/venire@ kvm. WM5@ RmNov. 23 1926. G. R. SMITH REVERSING GEAR FOR ENGINES 2 Sheets-SheetPatented Nov. 23, i926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. SMITH, 0F NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO J. M. WIDGEON, OFNORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

REVERSING GEAR` FOR ENGINES.

Application led .Tune 24, 1922. i Serial No. 570,528.

This invention relates to an improved reversing gear for locomotives orother 'engines, the invention being especially c oncerned with that typeof gear employing fluid pressure operated means embodied in a cylinderand piston for effecting reversal and also employing a manually operatedmeans embodied in a hand wheel and screw operable independently of' thefluid pressure operated means for effecting reversal as well asadjustingthe cut-ofi' Vauxiliary to the action of the lirst means.

The invention seeks, as one of its principal objects, to provide a gearwherein creeping of the power operated means, usually 1nherent in thetype of gear mentioned, will be eliminated.

The invention has as a' further object to provide a gear wherein thecut-0E may be accurately adjusted and secured in adjusted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gear employing afloating reversing lever and wherein when the power operated means isactuated for adjustingthe lever, thelever will rock upon the handoperated means and whereimwhen the hand Ioperated means is actuated, thelever will rock upon the power operated means;

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a reversegear wherein the screw employed for manually adjusting thereversing-lever will be mounted exteriorly of the locomotive cab so asto be out of the way of the engineer but wherein an indicator will beprovided within the cab for registering the adjustment of the screw andconsequently the adjustment of the cut-off for the distribution ofsteam.

Other and incidental objects willhereinafter.

In the drawings: p

Figure 1: is a fragmentary side elevation appear showing our reversinggear in connectionv with va locomot1ve, parts being broken away,

FFigure 2 is an enlarged side elevation showing .the reversing gear indetail, parts being illustrated in. section,

Figure 3 isv asectional view on the line 3-"3 of Figure 2, looking inthe direction of the arrows, this view 'showing the valve'controllingthe power operated means for the gear,

Fgure'4 1s' a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows,

Figure 5 isa face view of the valve proper, Figure 6 is a rear elevationof the valve, Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figure 2,looking .in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line 8 8 of Figure 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

In carrying the invention into eiiect, I employ a floating reversinglever 10 with which is associated power operated means for swinging thelever. This means includes av cylinder 11 closed at its ends byremovableA heads 12 and 13 and' slidable through the head 12 is akpistonrod 14'upon the inner endof which is mounted a-piston 15 reciprocablewithin the cylinder. Extending from the head 12 is a guide 16 slidablysupporting a sleeve 16l to which is attached by screw -16b a cross head17 `engagedrwith the outer end of the piston rod, and pivotallyconnected at one end to the cross head is a link 18, the opposite end ofwhich is pivotally connected to the lever,I 10 at a pointsubstantially'midway between the endsA thereof. The piston 15 may beoperated either by steam or compressed air, as preferred, andcontrolling the flow of fluid to the cylinder 11 is a valve, indicatedas a whole at 19,'the valve being, as shown in Figure 1, located withinthe locomotive cab convenient to the engineer. As best brought out inFigures 3 and 4, said valve includes a casing 20 closed by a back plate21 defining a fluid chamber 22 within the casing and supplying a motivefluid to said chamber is a pipe 23 connected tosaid back plate. F orinedin the front wall of the casingl are ports 24 from which lead pipes 25,one of which is connected to the head 12 lof the cylinder 11 tocommunicate withthe cylinder at one end while the other `ofesaid pipesis connected to the head 18 of the cylinder to communicate withthecylinder at its oppositeend. The -front wall of the casing is alsoprovided with an exhaustportx26 and rotatably mounted within the casingis a disc shaped valve 27 from which extends astem 28 journaled throughsaid wall and equipped with a hand lever 29 operable for rotating @thevalve. As will be observed, thehandle will coact with the front wallofthe casing for holding the valve seated against said wall at its innerside and formedl through the margin of the valve is a port 30 adapted tobe brought into register with the ports 24 selectively. The valve isalso provided, as shown in Figure 5, with a marginal exhaust channel 31so that when the. valve is turned to admit steam from the chamber 22through the port 30 to either of the ports 24 for admitting fiuid to oneend or the other of the cylinder 11, as the case may be, the channel 31will be brought into communication with the other of the ports 24 forreleasing steam from the opposite end of the cylinder through saidchannel and through the eX- haust port 26. Thus, the valve may bereadily manipulated for controlling the piston 15 and, in thisconnection, attention is directed to the fact that fluid pressure in thechamber 22 of the valve casino will press the valve' against the frontwal -of the valve casing to prevent leakage around the valve stem.Pivo'tally secured tofthe lower end of the lever 1() is a reach rod 32,the opposite end of which is attached, as suggested in Figure 1, to thereversing valve of the locomotive and associated with the lower end ofthe lever is a slotted plate 32 for stopping the travel of the lever soas to prevent injury to any of the parts.

In conjunctionwith the lever 10, I also employ hand Voperated means forrocking the lever, as will now be described. Fixed to any suitableportion of the locomotive adjacent the upper end of the lever is a cage,33 comprising end blocks 33 having base flanges 34 through which areengaged bolts or other suitable fastening devices securing the endblocks in position and extending between said blocks are side plates 35.Journaled upon the blocks is a screw 36 upon the forward end of a shaft37 and threaded upon said screw is, as best shown in Figure 7, a nut 38slidably fitting between the plates 35. This nut is provided withtrunnions 39 and formed on the lever 10 at its upper end is a fork 40straddling the nut to coact with said trunnions, the fork members beingprovided with split bearings 41 engaging the trunnions. Thus, the nutwill pivotally support the leve-r at its upper end while, should itbecome necessary, the lever may be readily detached b removing the capsof the bearings 41.l 37 extends into the locomotive cab and intei-posedin the length of said shaft is a joint l37 to accommodate linealexpansion of the shaft. Mounted upon any suitable portion of thelocomotive within the cab is a cage journaling the forward end?` of theshaft. This cage includes end blocks 42 from which extend base flanges43 apertured to accommodate bolts -or other suitable fasteningdevicessecuring the cage in position, and connecting said'blocks'are sideplates 44 which are ins shown in Figure 1, the shaft 'screw is, as shown.in detail in Figure 8, an

indicator 47 slidably 'fitting between the side plates 44. Projectingfrom the indicator at one end thereof is a pointer 48 overhanging theuppermost of said side plates to'cooperate with a suitable scale thereonand threaded through the pointer to engage said side plate is a setscrew 49 for locking the indicator against movement along the screw 46and'consequently locking the shaft 37 against rotation.

As will now be understood in view of the preceding description, thevalve 19 may be operated to effect shifting lof the piston 15 in eitherone direction or the vother and correspondingly rocking the lever 10upon the nut 38 to effect reversing of the locomotive when the handwheel'45 may then be turned for rotating the screw 36 and, as will be atonce understood, rocking the lever upon the link 18 for adjusting thecut-off and' distribution of steam. This adjustment of `the cut-offwill, of course, be registered by the pointer 48 of the indicator 47 sothat the cut-off may be regulated with eXtreme ac- 'curacy when the setscrew 49 may then be turned for locking the indicator stationary andaccordingly locking the shaft 37 against creeping. Thus, the handoperated means may be employed auxiliary to the power operated means forsetting the reversing lever.

However, if desired, the hand operated to effect reversal and eut-off ofsteam, or wherein said means may be used in conjunction lwith eachother. As will be perceived, the present gear is distinguished by thefact that the cage 33 at the forward end of the shaft 37 is stationaryso that neither said cage nor the shaft can partake of any floatingmovement su-ch as would molest thevsetting of the cut-off while,however, the reversing lever 10 ismounted to float with the nut 38 andis movable upon the nut as one center and also movable upon the l1nk 18as another center. Thus, the reverslng motion may be set-by means of thehand wheel 45 without the necessity of shiftmg the piston 15.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. ,In a locomotive engine reverse gear iii of the power operated meansand vice versa,

'latter beinv to the reversing lever intermediate its ends, a manually oerable valve mechanism for controllingt e supply of motive fluid to thefluid' operated mechanism, manuali operable means including `a screw ancoo eratin nut, the

pivotally an deta ably connected to the opposite end of 4the reversinglever, indicatin means actuated by the manually operab e means, andlocking means associated with the indicating means and movable therewithto secure the said manulally operable means in the required adjustedposition.

2. In a operated mechanism lpivoted combination with the reach rod andreversshaft havin vent? .rotation ing-lever pivoted at one end-thereto,-a nut pivotally mounted on the reversing lever, a

screwthread' connection with sald nut an provlded with a second screw--thrad, a nut mountedon the second screwthreaded portion of the shaft, ascale member engagingthe last mentioned nutto prelily said nut andmovable over the scale memthesaid scale member and secure the 'shaft inthe desired adjusted position.;

` GEORGE R. sMrrH. [he] :In testimony -whereof I' iiix mysignalocomotive engme/reverse gear l1n thereof, an indicator carried,`25 and a lock on the indicatorto engage

